Wheelchair
users looking for a true bush safari in Africa now have an option with South
African tour operator Endeavour
Safaris.
The Cape Town-based company has set its sights on mobility-impaired travellers and has developed possibly the best operation in Africa for hosting special needs guests in the wilds.
Game lodges in Africa are beginning to cater to the needs of mobility-impaired guests (see Reviews) but Endeavour has gone a step further by adapting a safari vehicle and designing wheelchair-friendly tents which allow clients to travel through and camp in the bush on a mobile safari.
The vehicle can take four manual wheelchairs plus helpers or a mix of manual and electric chairs.
With four specially designed tents available, Endeavour can accommodate eight clients on safari – although one of the tents is larger than normal and can take a family group with two children.
Each tent has en suite chair-shower and toilet facilities while beds and other furniture are designed with wheelchair users in mind.
The company’s most popular safari is an 11-day Botswana/Cape Town combination which allows six nights’ camping in the bush at two sites in the Moremi Game Reserve on the eastern side of Botswana’s famous Okavango Delta, and four nights in Cape Town taking in highlights of South Africa’s “mother city” and the nearby winelands.
The time in Moremi is broken into two three-night stages in different areas of the reserve to give clients the best chance of seeing the widest range of game and scenery. Guests are given a game drive between camps while a back-up crew breaks down the first camp and drives ahead to set up again the second in time for the clients’ arrival at the end of the day.
Endeavour director Mike Hill, who set up the company with brother Patrick and wife Silvia, was brought up in Namibia and has been involved in the safari industry for 12 years.
He launched Endeavour when he saw that people with disabilities were being denied the opportunity to experience the African bush because other companies thought it too difficult or dangerous.
“It’s not dangerous,” said Hill. “Africa is where I was brought up and work and as long as you respect the game you’ll be fine. I’m not afraid to take wheelchair users into the bush and they always have a great time.”
Although Endeavour is currently geared up best for wheelchair users, Hill is keen to develop safaris tailored to the needs of people with other disabilities.
“If someone is keen to do a sensory safari, I will do it,” he said. “My idea is to organise trips that will work for the specific needs of the individual traveller.”
More information can be found at www.endeavour-safaris.com
and Hill can be emailed at mike@endeavour-safaris.com.